Supplements in the News

Zinc May Reduce Pneumonia Risk in Nursing Home Elderly

Published Saturday, February 2, 2008

Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University report that it appears that daily zinc intake can help nursing home residents who are susceptible to pneumonia, especially those with low serum zinc concentrations in their blood. Blood samples were taken at the beginning and end of the one-year study. The study enrolled 617 men and women from 33 nursing homes in the Boston area. All of the participants received daily supplements containing 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance of several vitamins and minerals, including zinc, for one year. The study participants with normal serum zinc concentrations in their blood reduced their risk of developing pneumonia by about 50 percent. Additionally, all-cause mortality was 39 percent lower in the supplemented group. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, volume 86, number 4, October 2007, pages 1167-1173).